When I can’t decide what to post about, you can bet it’s Wedded Wednesday

May 7, 2008 in Books,Media,Wedded Wednesday with 7 Comments

  • iDo, iDo, iDo, iDo? With just about a month until iDo: Planning Your Wedding with Nothing But ‘Net hits your local bookshop (ask for it by name!) I decided to do a search for the title and see what came up. Among other things, I found a WSJ article sporting the same title…apparently, indecisive brides- and grooms-to-be are now letting guests make decisions via web poll?

    Los Angeles lawyers Melissa and Eric Bakewell were the first among their friends to conduct online wedding polls. For their August 2006 wedding, they registered at Crate and Barrel, did a foxtrot during the first dance and served mojitotini cocktails and white-chocolate cake, all choices directed by majority vote.

    I’m going to take a wild guess here and say that couples are putting polls on their wedding web sites as a “value add,” like picture slideshows and quizzes, rather than a revolutionary new way to make decisions.

  • Grays, gunmetals, pewters, and silver are hot right now. So here are two dresses for two bridesmaids who are taking part in what are obviously two very different weddings:

    A.B.S. silver satin bow gownNicole Miller metallic antique white shirred strapless gown

  • Bridenapping is still common in various parts of the world, but at least efforts are being made to end this nasty “tradition.” A recent push to ban bridenapping took place in Chechnya, where religious leaders in Russia’s North Caucasus republic want to eradicate all non-consensual bridal abductions…versus the playacted ones that occasionally unfold.

    “Abductions of brides contradict the norms of Shariah law and the traditions and customs of the Chechen people,” Sultan Mirzayev said, adding that the tradition should be abolished.

  • Finally, after reading this article about the hoops an LA fellow had to jump through to take his wife’s last name, I started to wonder how one could politely refer to his previous moniker. Regularly reading Jezebel has introduced me to the fact that some people are strongly opposed to the term “maiden name” because of the implications underlying it.

    I have two questions for you: What’s a less dicey way to inquire about maiden names, if in fact you know someone has changed their name? Previous name? Unmarried name? Prenuptial name? And is there an equivalent term that’s just for men?

    • About Christa Terry: Christa Terry is a writer and wedding and lifestyle expert whose book iDo: Planning Your Wedding with Nothing But ‘Net is a one-stop planning resource for modern, free-thinking brides and grooms. With one husband, one toddler, and more on the way – kids, not husbands – Christa somehow manages to stay on top of the tricks and trends that make getting married and living life stylish and fun.

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    7 Responses to “When I can’t decide what to post about, you can bet it’s Wedded Wednesday”

    1. Kate May 7, 2008 at 12:51 pm #

      I think “unmarried name” or “name before marriage” is perfectly clear and (as far as I know) unobjectionable.

    2. Kai Jones May 7, 2008 at 1:15 pm #

      Name at birth? Name your parents gave you?

    3. Jen May 7, 2008 at 1:36 pm #

      I think the article’s term, birth name, is a good one.

    4. rabrab May 7, 2008 at 2:41 pm #

      Birth name (or adopted name) and name before marriage both work

    5. Kate May 7, 2008 at 4:00 pm #

      I changed my mind. I think I prefer “birth name” to “unmarried name” because it doesn’t contain the same implication that one’s name necessarily changes with (or only because of) marriage.

    6. T. Beard May 9, 2008 at 2:55 pm #

      ‘mojitotini’?

      is that a mojito served in a martini glass, or does it actually mean the unholy combination of gin and rum?

      this is really important for me so i can know exactly how far away to stand.

    7. Johanna May 9, 2008 at 4:58 pm #

      I was so shocked to read that there are countries (in the western culture) where the man can’t take the woman’s name, that I hope I misinterpreted the article???